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I think you are overdoing it too. and you said you practise the pieces by playing through half-speed? that is not called practising at all and you will be simply stuck or hardly move at all.

i'm working on 9 pieces at once, ppl call me crazy and you are working on wayy more.

just change the way you practise and work on fewer pieces and you will progress much faster [/QB]

Thanks for the response.

It's only some of those pieces that are going at half speed; I think what I'm doing with them is worthwhile, even if it doesn't meet your criteria for "practicing", about which you are probably right. It's more like "study" or maybe "experimentation".

But whatever it is, something does come from doing it. For example, working on the Chopin op. 10, no. 1 very slowly has proved amazingly beneficial in developing a suppleness of hand I've never experienced before in 50-odd years of playig the piano and which I doubt I would ever have found otherwise. Actually, I couldn't attempt that etude at all, any other way. I really don't care if it ever gets even in the vicinity of Chopin's metronome marking, because what I've learned about playing the piano from working on it at half-speed is pretty good stuff to know, I think. In a way, it's like getting some coaching from Chopin himself.

I've been working on the Italian Concerto on and off over the last half year. Finally I've kicked things into gear because I have a recital in two weeks. I've gotten myself a teacher, and it's shaping up very nicely. I'm pretty happy with my progress! It sounds very different than the way I was playing it a month ago, which is of course good.

Also on my plate is the Chopin etude in 3rds, Mozart c minor sonata, Mozart a minor sonata, Beethoven 110, Debussy's Pagodes. A whole lot to accomplish, but I have determination and time on my side.

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Pianist and teacher with a 5'8" Baldwin R and Clavi CLP-230 at home.

maintaning at performance level:J.S Bach-Partita in c minor (Sinfonia)Beethoven-Sonata in A major op.2 no.2 (1st&3rd)Rachmaninoff-Prelude in g sharp minor op.32 no.12Chopin-Etude in F major Op.10 No.8

pieces that I will be working with my teacher on Monday after putting them off for 6-7 months(working on them independently):Mendelssohn-Andante & Rondo Cappriccioso op.14Prokofiev-Visions Fugitives no.3,7,8&10Chopin-Etude in G flat major op.10 no.5Schumann-Piano Concerto in a minor op.54*finally*

just started:Chopin-Etude in c sharp minor op.10 no.4

will be adding in another classical sonata and early 20th C piece soon as well as a p+f:possibly Schubert Sonata in a minor D845a debussy piece estampe or imagep+f in c sharp minor no.3 from bk 1?

You should know that if you're doing the Waldstein at 13 you fall into one of two categories. The first is that you are overreaching and although you can play the notes now, the maturity of the piece is going to escape you. It may facilitate the process when you pick the sonata back up later in life, but right now, you're too young.

The other category is that you are some sort of genius who spends all his time practicing and going to competition instead of going to school and being a regular kid. The Waldstein would work itself out under your fingers and you have the musical experience, maturity, and aplomb to pull it off.

I'm saying this now before you get yourself shut down. So really this is a glorified "in before" post...

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Pianist and teacher with a 5'8" Baldwin R and Clavi CLP-230 at home.

The stuff I'm working on is listed below, but I'm also trying to find a good Christmas piece to work on (I've got a bunch I can sight read, but I want something a little more challenging). I was also thinking of adding Muczynski Toccata (I think that's the name of it, have ot pick up my book at the studio to verify).

Chazdaspaz: The Waldstein first movement isn't overly difficult, but it is advanced. The 3rd movement, however, is something entirely different! I agree with Minaku, that the maturity of emotion required for this stuff is something that will come as you get older, but there's not harm in working out the technical issues now if you are able. Many of these pieces you will revisit for competitions and auditions, and so by then perhaps you will be able to add something more to it. Of course, I'm saying this all without hearing you.

The K.332 is also not one of the hardest Mozart sonatas, but a lovely one. Will you be working on the 2nd movement of that? It is absolutely gorgeous.

I wouldn't really worry about where you are, becuase no matter how far you go, there will always be more. You add your own unique view on your pieces at whatever age, and you should be content with that. Comparing yourself with others really is an exercise in futility. There will always be at any given point in time someone who is better than you and someone who is worse than you.

I don't feel like I'm making a lot of progress lately... I started studying with a new professor earlier this year, so he's changing up my fingerings and paying attention to close detail... Now he fell sick and I have a replacement who disagrees and is making me change everything. Once my regular professor comes back, he'll probably scream at me for not making any progress. But anyway,Bach - Prelude and Fugue in C-Minor, Book IBeethoven - "Pathetique" Sonata Chopin - Etude Op. 10 No. 5Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op. 23 no. 5 - that's not being practiced right now.

On my own I've learned Chopin's Waltz in C#m, and I've been working on some other older pieces I used to play.

I am scared that even with a year of work, I may not have a good enough repertoire for the big name school auditions - what do you guys think of these pieces so far?

Right now, I am working on three pieces by Mompou. They'll all from his Preludes, Book 2:

- Prelude 5- Prelude 6 (Pour la main gauche)- Prelude 8

This was a good year for me as a piano student. My instructor just hosted an informal all-day recital for his students at his studio (lots of food!), and I got to perform all the pieces I studied with him this year. This was my "set", performed in the following order:

BACH: Allemande (from Partita #4, BWV 828)

SCRIABIN:

Op. 16 - Prelude #4Op. 11 - Prelude #12Op. 11 - Prelude #15

SHOSTAKOVICH: Prelude and Fugue #18 in f minor, Op. 87

I was pleased I got good feedback from the other students. I myself am most proud of the HARD WORK I put in the Bach piece (especially that third page!) and on the Shostakovich pieces.

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She was with me even in my grave When the last of my friends turned away, And she sang like the first storm heaven gave.Or as if flowers were having their say.

The rest is very hard for sure. I've just worked my way through page 2 and a little bit through page 3. The left hand jumps needs good accuracy and strict exercising. The right one isn't that hard yet, just repetitions of minor figures. I'm looking forward to my next piano lesson when my teacher and I will work more on it.

John Thanks for taking the time to comment. I didn't realize how big that list looked until after I'd posted it. Yikes! And it doesn't even include the other stuff I've played through in the last 4-5 days:

So that's the more complete picture, together with Hanon and such for warm up.

You are absolutely right that spreading myself so thin is not going to help me progress at optimal speed on any one thing, but as an old geezer playing to amuse myself, I'm not terribly goal-oriented, and so progress is more of a side-effect than a primary consideration (although progress does happen, believe it or not). And I rather enjoy having many things going at various stages of ineptitude/accomplishment and which are coming along at all different rates, too. It keeps it interesting.

But I'm thinking that participating here might motivate me to at least pick out one or two things to really concentrate on and get into shape. We'll see how it goes...

wr [/b]

I understand now. You're just out enjoying the scenery. There's so much to play and so little time to enjoy it all.

You'll find the participation here can be very addictive. I have found myself rethinking things about technique, and interpretation not only by just reading the posts, but also by listening to the wonderful performances the members have posted.

Anyway the biggest thing is as long as you're having fun, which is what this should be.

John Thanks for taking the time to comment. I didn't realize how big that list looked until after I'd posted it. Yikes!

< listing of material representing too much fooling around deleted>

But I'm thinking that participating here might motivate me to at least pick out one or two things to really concentrate on and get into shape. We'll see how it goes...

wr [/b]

I understand now. You're just out enjoying the scenery. There's so much to play and so little time to enjoy it all.

You'll find the participation here can be very addictive. I have found myself rethinking things about technique, and interpretation not only by just reading the posts, but also by listening to the wonderful performances the members have posted.

Anyway the biggest thing is as long as you're having fun, which is what this should be.

John [/b]

I'm definitely having fun. And in spite of all appearances to the contrary, there is a small subset of all that stuff that I actually hope to get into presentable shape. I haven't checked out the member performances here yet - hope to do that soon. If the standard isn't too terrifyingly high (as in "if it's not as good as Argerich or Kocsis, don't even bother"), I may entertain the idea of posting some easy little ditty myself eventually. It would be a good reality check, I think. At any rate, just reading people's thoughts is great - this place is great.